Ralf Rangnick believes that if Manchester United fails to finish in the top four this season, former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would bear some of the blame.
After consecutive draws with Burnley and Southampton, United is stuttering in the Champions League chase.
Rangnick admits he is “concerned” about their chances of finishing in the top four, but believes Solskjaer, who was fired in November following a run of five defeats in seven league games, is also to blame.
Rangnick stated, “It [not finishing in the top four] has always been a problem since Ole departed the club.”
“That was one of the reasons he was likely forced to leave the club, and outcomes like [Southampton] don’t help matters.
“This is the situation we find ourselves in. We must accept the facts, and certainly, with outcomes like this, finishing fourth in the end is not easy.”
United were pulled back after leading for the third game in a row against Southampton at Old Trafford on Saturday, following similar performances against Middlesbrough and Burnley. In January, they too blew a two-goal lead against Aston Villa, finally drawing 2-2.
Rangnick has been harshly critical of his team’s second-half performances against Burnley and Southampton, and has hinted that he is struggling to address all of the problems since being thrust into the job in the middle of the season.
“To be honest, I’m not sure we’re fit enough to play that style since, as you mentioned, I arrived in the middle of the season,” the 63-year-old added.
“We didn’t have a preseason, and we only had two weeks in between where we could train normally.”
United play Brighton at Old Trafford on Tuesday, and Rangnick feels there are a number of issues to address following the draw with Southampton.
“We didn’t always make the best choices,” he admitted. “We weren’t always collected and structured enough in the first half compared to the last half hour, and we were a touch unpredictable in those instances.”
“I wished we had remained a little more composed. We had the opportunity. I don’t believe it’s a question of physique in terms of fitness, but it may be. As I previously stated, the players we have are technical players who enjoy playing technical football. However, in the Premier League, no matter who you play against, you cannot win games just on technical grounds. You must also demonstrate physicality.”
